A street-smart guide by a trusted expert that exposes how we make shocking money mistakes, often involving the people we trust the most, and explains how we can prevent or undo those missteps.

In Everybody Wants Your Money, David W. Latko uses straight talk, a sense of humor, and vivid human stories from the trenches of real life, to illuminate the potentially catastrophic fiscal missteps that Americans make in the course of their lives. He shows readers a sensible path to success and financial security, carefully documented with solid facts. As Latko emphasizes throughout the book, most of the money-related lessons we have been taught since childhood simply are wrong. Attempting to apply such misinformation to our personal financial practices, virtually ensures failure.

Latko advises readers on the common errors people make in selecting and entrusting a financial advisor, and explains how to make an informed choice where you stay in control. He brings to light the mistakes many retirees make in giving their adult children the keys to their financial kingdom -and offers innovative, low-risk strategies for protecting, and passing on, our lifetime’s wealth.

We all know that meditation is good for helping out with stress in our lives, but after a study from Harvard, we now know that it actually physiologically changes us. Read more the original article about this amazing discovery HERE.

It turns out meditating is good for more than just quiet time: It can actually help us fight the cripplingly high stress levels we experience during our busy lives, in the office or elsewhere.

Scientists from Harvard University and the University of Sienna recently found that meditation is so powerful it can change the physiology of a person’s brain, resulting in positive changes like a decrease in anxiety and depression.

The science: Scientists put 24 participants with no history of meditation through an eight-week course on best practices for, “mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR),” fancy science talk for meditation. The course consisted of 2.5 hour sessions each week where participants learned “body scanning, sitting meditation, walking meditation and mindful stretching movements.” The scientists also requested each participant perform at least 45 minutes of meditation each day. MRIs were performed before and after the meditation boot camp, and each participant answered a series of psychological evaluations to determine their stress and anxiety levels before and after the MBSR course as well.

The team compared these results to a control group who went through no meditation training at all during the eight weeks.

The comparison demonstrated “an increase of cortical thickness in the right insular lobe and somatosensory cortex” of the meditation group. In layman’s terms, meditation made parts of the brain corresponding to emotion and perception thicker. This ultimately resulted in “a significant after-training reduction of several psychological indices related to worry, state anxiety, depression and alexithymia.”

So ultimately, meditation made people more emotionally attuned and less depressed — a pretty good argument to spend time solemnly reflecting each day.

The takeaway: We live in a society where depression, anxiety, and stress are increasingly part of our lives. Stress levels among Americans have risen by up to 30%, and it’s not much better in Europe or Asia, whereanxiety and depression is growing at alarming rates. Instead of solving the root causes of these problems, Americans are resorting to antidepressants at a higher rate than ever before. One in 10 Americans is now taking a prescription antidepressant.

Meditation, while not a panacea, can help us deal with such a society by decreasing our stress levels and increasing our abilities to emotionally relate to ourselves and others. And with further research, it could provide an alternative to being constantly doped to the gills in order to be happy (or just less sad).

I focus my giving on organizations and efforts that increase access. This means opening pathways to positions of power for people from communities that are traditionally excluded. As a gay, black man who grew up in Atlanta, Georgia during the second or third black renaissance that city has nurtured, I have had the privilege of access within and across communities. This has made me who I am. I work to provide that for others.
I did not inherit money, so all of my giving comes from my income. However, I did inherit a strong commitment to giving. My earliest experiences of giving came from the church. I have vivid memories of putting money in the collection plate, and of living alongside the people who benefitted from that collection. My family was active in the church, so it was clear to me that giving was also about offering time, not just money. My godparents, Rev. Ralph and Juanita Abernathy, were amazing role models. Uncle Ralph was a leader of the civil rights movement, ran for public office, and ministered daily to his congregation. He made it very clear to me that giving back to my community was not optional.
Over the years I have carved out my own sense of community and refined my preferred way of giving. I started by drawing on another inheritance I received from my family: education. My grandfather graduated from college in 1899 and my grandmother completed her undergraduate work in pharmacy in 1922 – both significant accomplishments for African-Americans of their day. My parents took that tradition even further. My mother held a master’s degree from Columbia University and my father a Ph.D. from Boston University. Needless to say, expectations around education were set quite early and rather high. I was fortunate to attend Brown University, and then Harvard Business School.
I always had an ability to connect with people. Through my experiences at Brown and Harvard, I discovered the field of investment management. I realized that it could be approached as a way of helping people of significant means align their values and their money, and that it was a good fit with my skills. As an asset manager, I endeavor to build wealth in order to lift others. I want to live well, and I want to make sure that other people live well too.
My giving draws on the lessons I learned as a child: when I am involved with a project, I give both my time and my money. I give deeply to my community. However, the context of my giving is very different than that of my childhood. I live in Los Angeles, I’m not so much of a church-goer, and my worldview is decidedly global. This is a second attempt at Los Angeles for me. I called the City of Angels home briefly after college. I returned six years after my initial arrival and was eager to engage in a more meaningful and strategic way. Everyone I asked about how to understand and have impact on L.A. pointed me to the Liberty Hill Foundation.
Liberty Hill has been a wonderful connection point. I was initially drawn to them because of their strong support of the gay community, focus on advocacy work and their emphasis on grassroots organizing. My involvement with Liberty Hill as a donor and a board member has connected me with people and communities across Los Angeles I would never have otherwise known.
One of the communities that Liberty Hill connected me with was OutFest: the LA Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. My interest in film is rooted in my commitment to access. Personally, as I faced decisions about my sexuality, I found affirmation in gay cinema. I realized how critical it was for me that these gay filmmakers had the opportunity to put their stories out into the world. This was access used well.
As it turned out, OutFest was a gateway festival for me. I eventually found my way to the Sundance Film Festival. There I was struck by the power of the films, the stories they told, and the impact they could have because of the buzz of the festival itself. The Queer Lounge at Sundance was actively increasing access for gay filmmakers. I thought, “Why not create the same experience (read: opportunities) for black filmmakers?” So, along with a group of passionate industry veterans I foundedThe Blackhouse Foundation. Our mission is to increase access in the film industry for black filmmakers.
Being a foundation head is very different than being a donor! It can be overwhelming, but I make it work. I continue my involvement with Liberty Hill, and I think of my local donations as the soil, the roots, of all of my giving. Just as Uncle Ralph ministered to his congregation daily, I know it is critical for me to stay connected to what is happening in my community. This local grounding allows me to be equally passionate about the national impact we are having with The Blackhouse Foundation. In the end, it really is all about access. If I can be a part of providing greater access for someone in my community to the tools they need to have long-term impact, or for a black filmmaker to the people who can bring our stories to broader audiences, then I will be living out my purpose. I will be helping people align their values with their greatest gifts.

Don’t miss out on opportunity to join in the conversations on this month’s upcoming calls. We have some great guests that are going to be joining us on these calls that are sure to be enlightening. We will be emailing all the information on how to join these calls soon, so watch your inbox.

November 11th- 11 AM Eastern
How What You Eat Affects Your Brain and Memory with Janet Zand

Dr. Zand has over twenty five years of private practice experience in acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy, and nutrition. She received a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, and a Doctor of Oriental Medicine degree from California Acupuncture College, and is the author of three books: Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child, A Parent’s Guide to Medical Emergencies, and Smart Medicine for a Healthier Living. Dr. Zand has been awarded “Best Homeopath” and “Best Acupuncturist” by the Los Angeles Weekly Magazine.

November 19, 2014 11 A.M. EasternCapacity Utilization and the Recent Expand in U.S. Economy with Matthew Rice

Matthew Rice is Chief Investment Officer at DiMeo Schneider & Associates, LLC. Matt directs the firm’s capital markets, investment strategy, asset allocation modeling and alternative investments efforts. He also advises a number of the firm’s corporate and nonprofit clients. Matt has co-authored two books, Nonprofit Asset Management and The Practical Guide to Managing Nonprofit Assets . Matt received a BA in Economics from Northwestern University, is a CFA Charterholder, a CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst) and is a member of the CFA Society of Chicago.

At the age of 41, Michael Sebastiani has performed nearly all jobs related to the wine industry. As one of the fourth generation of his iconic family, he has worked in the vineyards since he was nine, was head winemaker at his parents’ Viansa Winery, and then went on to co-found and operate Highway 12 Vineyards and Winery, as well as his recent new endeavor, Sonoma Valley Custom Wines, a 1200-ton comprehensive custom winemaking company. Michael graduated from University of California, Davis with a degree in winemaking and has been a noted winemaker for more than two decades. Michael lives in Sonoma with his wife Anne Marie and their three children.

Search the blog

Submit to the blog

L3 is always looking for blog fodder. Please send us your items!

- Members in the News: Awards and Honors, professional announcements, media profiles and features, etc.
- Good news: Personal accomplishments, family good news (such as children getting married or new granchildren joining the family)
- Commentary: Your general sounding-board for editorials on topics that you're passionate about.